Apparatus for cleaning motion picture film and the like



M v. THOMPSON Filed April 3, 1962 INVENTOR.

IIJ IIbIHI Ml'jlard VThom son Ill! WWW

Nov. 24, 1964 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING MOTION PICTURE FILM AND THE LIKE IIHII United States Patent 3,157,900 I APPARATUS FUR CLEANING MOTION PICTURE FILM AND THE HIKE Millard V. Thompson, 516%. Western Ave, Medford, Greg. Filed Apr. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 184,692 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-100) This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning motion picture film, recording tape and similar strip material, and more particularly to cleaning apparatus of the class described which employs a solvent absorbent wick for contacting and cleaning .the strips.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide cleaning apparatus of the class described which is adaptable for use in cleaning motion picture film, recording tape and other similar strip material of varying dimensions.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of cleaning apparatus of the class described which is of simplified construction for economical manufacture and is operable with speed and facility with the minimum of maintenance and repair.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of cleaning apparatus embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1 and showing means by which to seal the Wick component against the evaporation of volatile solvent.

The cleaning apparatus of the present invention includes, in the embodiment illustrated, a base supporting thereon an upstanding reel support 12. The lower end 12' of the reel support is offset laterally and secured to the base It by means of the screws 14. Latera-lly projecting arms on the reel support carry at their terminal ends the bearing mountings 16 for the reel supporting shafts 18 and 20. The shaft 18 serves as a support for a supply reel 22 for strip material 24 to be cleaned, and the other shaft 29 serves as a support for a take-up reel 26 upon which the strip material is wound after it progresses through the cleaning apparatus. A hand operated crank 28 may be secured detachably to this shaft 20 for manual operation of the apparatus. Alternatively, this shaft may be connected by any conventional means to an electric or other suitable source of motive power.

Mounted on the base 10 adjacent the supply reel 22 is the strip cleaning unit of the present invention. This unit includes a hollow container 30 for cleansing solvent, introduced into the container by means of the removable filler plug 32. Communicating with the interior of the container is a hollow conduit 34. In the embodiment illustrated, this conduit projects from the upper side of the container and is then bent arcuately at a substantially right angle. The terminal end of the conduit is open, and this end section is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed slits 36 which extends inwardly from the open end of the conduit.

The conduit frictionally retains an outer portion of a ice solvent absorbent wick 38 of cotton, felt, or other suitable mate-rial, the inner portion of which is confined within the solvent container 30. The portion of the Wick in the area of the slits 36 also is provided with a diammetrical slit 40 which registers with the slits 36 in the conduit. These registering slits are adapted to receive slidably therein the strip material 24 to be cleaned.

When the cleaning unit is not in use, it is desirable that the open end of the conduit 34 be sealed to prevent the evaporation of the volatile cleansing solvent. This is provided, in the embodiment illustrated, by a closure cap 42 which is threaded internally for engagement with the external threaded section of the conduit. This threaded section is at least as long as the slits 36, and the closure cap is of corresponding length, to insure sealing of the entire length of the slits.

The apparatus illustrated also includes a heating unit mounted upon the base. This unit comprises a hollow housing 44 for an elongated electrical resistance heater element 46, the opposite ends of which are connected through the electric cord 48 to the terminal plug 50 for connection to a source of electric energy. The opposite end walls of the heater housing are provided with openings 52, 54 for the passage of the strip material 24 longitudinally through the housing where it is subjected to the heat from the resistance element and thus thoroughly dried. A guide roller 56 may be provided at the outfeed end of the heater housing for guiding the cleaned strip material to the take-up reel 26. The heater housing preferably is perforated to provide openings 58 for the circulation of air through the housing.

The slits in the wick and conduit are of sufficient length to accommodate strip material of varying width. Thus, the apparatus may be employed for cleaning motion picture films of various conventional sizes, as well as magnetic recording tapes and other strip materials. As the wick becomes soiled in the area of the slit 40, it may be pulled outwardly through the conduit and the soiled portion cut off and discarded. A new slit may be made in the wick by means of a knife, using the diametrically opposed slits 36 in the conduit as a guide.

If desired, the apparatus illustrated may be utilized in conjunction with apparatus employing the strip material. For example, the reels and reel support may be removed and the base mounted directly upon a motion picture projector, with the Wick slit and outfeed guide roller aligned with the travel of the The film thus may be cleaned simultaneously during projection. Alternatively, the cleaning apparatus may be reversed on the projector so that the cleansing operation occurs simultaneously with the rewinding of the film.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the details of construction described hereinbefore without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which it may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Apparatus for cleaning motion picture film and like strip material, comp-rising:

(a) a container for cleansing liquid,

([2) a hollow unitary conduit mounted on and projecting outward from the container,

(c) the conduit communicating at its inner end with the interior of the container and having opposed slits extending inward from its outer end dimensioned to receive freely therethrough strip material to be cleaned,

(d) an elongated liquid absorbent Wick supported frictionally in the conduit for longitudinal sliding move- 5 ment therethrough,

(e) the wick having an inner portion disposed within the container for contact with cleansing liquid there- (f) the Wick having at its outer end a transverse slit 1 registering with the slits in the conduit for receiving slidably theret'hrough strip material to be cleaned,

g) the Wick being movable through the conduit in the direction of the outer end of the latter for presenting successive clean Wick portions between the 15 conduit slits as preceding portions of the wick become soiled by the strip material being cleaned.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,748,299 Maynard Feb. 25, 1930 2,120,110 Morrell June 7, 1938 2,796,618 Arndt June 25, 1957 2,815,304 Beck Dec. 3, 1957 2,987,955 Sassenberg June 13, 1961 2,988,043 Sassenberg June 13, 1961 3,056,998 Ebner Oct. 9, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,096,192 Germany Dec. 29, 1960 

